Shock of the year with Barcelona deciding to sell of its LEGEND

Nou Camp side set to cash in on Argentine legend.

Barcelona are reportedly ready to sell Argentine star Lionel Messi in an astonishing €250m deal according to Sunday Times journalist Duncan Castles.

Such a move would certainly be a shock but the Nou Camp side apparently see the value in cashing in on their 26 year old star sooner rather than later, with this source claiming that the Catalan side are confident they can find a buyer willing to foot the massive price-tag placed on Messi and hope to do so by the middle of 2015.

Barca president Sandro Rosell apparently sees the financial value in considering such a sale and believes selling their prized asset would be beneficial to the club in the long term.

Such a move would more than double the current world transfer record fee, set by Real Madrid when they forked out €100m (£85m) for Gareth Bale last summer but whilst such a massive fee seems hard to fathom if there were one player on the planet who could meet such a price-tag it would be Messi.

Lionel Messi is still just 26 years of age and as such is a player with a great deal to offer in the long term and having won all there is to win at Barcelona a fresh challenge could perhaps tempt the forward.

The fact that Messi had a run-in with vice president Javier Faust in recent weeks has certainly added to speculation that all is not well in terms of the player’s relationship with the club has joined at the age of 13.

Messi has scored an astonishing 327 goals in 395 appearances for Barcelona and has helped the club to a period of unparalleled success during his ten seasons in the first team, during which time he has won six La Liga titles and three Champions League winners medals as well as picking up four Ballon d’Or awards.